Francine is a French feminine diminutive of Francis, which comes from the Latin Franciscus, "Frenchman", and is often glossed as "free one". It was a favorite in mid-century America and still carries that polished, slightly retro charm. Francine ranked number 2318 in 2000 and spent years around 2500 to 3000, but it has climbed steadily since 2018 to number 1850 in 2025, its best rank on record.